Key holder



Oct. 29, 1935. T. G. ASHBRIDGE KEY HOLDER Filed Feb. 12, 1954 INVENTOR: Thomas Gflshbm'dge WITNESSES: MM 4771M Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE KEY HOLDER Thomas G. Ashbridge, Philadelphia, Pa. Application February 12, 1934, Serial No. 710,842

4 Claims. (01. 150-40) This invention relates to key holders, and has for an object to provide a holder for a plurality of keys which may be moved into the interior of the holder or moved out to operative position without the employment of any fastening means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a key holder of flexible sheet material in which a plurality of keys may be positioned, and with a spring device for holding the edges of the flexible sheet yieldingly in closed position to permit the passage of a key therethrough against the tension of the spring.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sheet of flexible material having a pintle passing therethrough for supporting a plurality of keys and a spring embracing a part of the sheet material, said spring being formed as a bow at one end with the extremities approximately converging to form a passage of reduced width through which the keys may be individually moved against the tension of the said spring.

The invention, therefore, comprises a sheet of material cut to such form or shape as the shape and size of the keys may dictate, said sheet being folded and having a pintle extending through the opposite sides to support keys depending from the pintle within the interior of the folded sheet, with a spring bowed at the fold of the sheet and. its ends approximately converging, said spring being secured to the sheet in such manner as to hold the edges of the sheet yieldingly together to permit the passage between such margins either into or out of the interior of the folded sheet and, therefore, into or out of operative position.

The drawing illustrates several embodiments of the invention and the views therein are as follows:

Figure 1 is a view of the key holder in side ele- Vation,

Figure 2 is a view of the key holder in end elevation, as indicated by arrow 2 at Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view in elevation of the blank of the sheet material,

Figure 4 is a View partly in elevation and partly in section of the pintle,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified type of spring,

Figure 6 is a view in edge elevation of the type of spring shown at Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a view in perspective of still a further modification of the spring, and

Figure 8 is a view in end elevation of the spring shown in perspective at Figure '7.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The key holder of the present application comprises'a sheet of material l0 which is folded at H to form a roll or U-shaped part with the extremities of the sheet, as indicated at 12, substantially converging. Through the bowed part of the sheet of material a pintle I3 is provided upon which may be hung a plurality of keys 14.

At Figure 4 a type of pintle is shown which is considered at the present time a preferred type, consisting of a sleeve and screw of substantially m the usual and ordinary type.

Secured to the exterior of the sheet ill is a spring l5, such securing being in any approvedmanner, as by the rivets I 8. The spring I5 is bowed according to the bow of the sheet ma 15 terial l0, and has its ends substantially converging to hold the sheet material with its edges closely related.

As a modification, tongues I! are cut out of the sides of the spring and bent backwardly to the 20 position shown.

As a further modification, the spring is slitted longitudinally along the major axis of the bow, and tongues l8 bent outwardly as shown at Figure 8. 25

In either of these types the tongues I1 or I8 may be manually pressed together, as indicated by the arrows, to open the converging ends of the spring and permit the keys to be swung through with greater case. In any event, the key 30 14 may be moved about upon the pintle I 3 as a pivot to either the full line or dotted line position, as shown at Figure 1, and that whether the springs are manually actuated other than by the passage of the key therethrough. 85

Of course, the key holder herein described may be modified and changed in various ways without departing from the invention herein set forth and hereinafter claimed.

I claim: 40

1. A key holder comprising a sheet of flexible material bent to form a bow with some of its edges substantially coinciding and engaging, a pintle extending across the bow and adapted to support a plurality of keys within the bow, and a bowed 45 spring embracing the bow of the sheet material and having its ends permanently secured to the sheet material adjacent to said coinciding edges, tending to hold said edges resiliently in such engagement.

2. A key holder comprising a sheet of flexible material bent to form a bow with its sides approaching each other substantially to convergence, a pintle extending across the bow and adapted to support a plurality of keys within the bow, a bowed spring having its ends substantially converging and embracing the sheet of flexible material with the ends permanently secured to the sheet adjacent to and tending to hold the edges of the sheet resiliently together.

3. A key holder comprising a sheet of flexible material bent to form a bow with its sides approaching and its edges substantially converging, a spring embracing and coni'orming to the bowed part and narrower than the length of the bow and tending to hold the edges resiliently together,

and tongues carried by. said spring and extending beyond the bow in relation to be manipulated to open the ends of the spring.

4. A key holder comprising a sheet of flexible material bent to form a bow with its edges substantially converging, and a spring bent to conform to and embrace a part only of the bow and permanently secured with its ends adjacent the edges of the sheet.

THOMAS G. ASHBRIDGE. 

